Let's Talk, Ed Sardella's monthly cable talk show, is tailor-made for Irv Brown, who seemingly began talking on sports radio when Red Barber was in diapers.

OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration.

Still, anyone familiar with local radio history is aware of the broadcasting longevity of Brown. And Sardella, the retired 9News anchor, has the interview skills to draw out the best in Brown, who talks frankly, often with humor, about his broadcasting, coaching and refereeing careers.

Brown, who has spent the last dozen years on KKFN-AM (950-The Fan), moved into broadcasting after his job as baseball coach of the University of Colorado evaporated.

A planned career move?

"Not the way I butcher names," a smiling Brown says.

Let's Talk, a one-on-one interview series, airs regularly on Channel 8 community stations in the Denver metropolitan area. The same interview is repeated numerous times throughout the month.

Sardella, who quizzes a wide variety of local personalities, is within his element when talking sports.

Before beginning his lengthy news anchor career at Channel 9 in the mid-'70s, Sardella was a sports reporter-anchor at Channel 7.

Always a broadcast perfectionist and never a fan of "shtick," Sardella asks Brown's opinion on today's local sports anchors, particularly Channel 7's Lionel Bienvenu and Channel 9's Drew Soicher.

Brown diplomatically answers by saying he's also not a fan of "shtick" and prefers the talent from the old school of sports broadcasters like Ron Zappolo and Tom Green.

Of his three careers, coaching is Brown's favorite.

But his best stories seemingly deal with the years he spent refereeing college basketball (including four Final Fours) and his camaraderie with the late Al McGuire, Marquette coach and later an NCAA broadcaster.

Normally, Sardella's 30-minute interview sessions (commercial free) are long enough. But I was left with the feeling Sardella and Brown, a "people person," were just getting warmed up.

COLLEGE WOES: HBO's Costas Now (8 p.m. Tuesday) returns with a full hour devoted to the problems facing college athletics - a subject that could take an entire evening.

The program (not previewed) features Costas holding a round-table discussion mainly on the subject of "student athletes" playing in the nation's top revenue-producing colleges.

An obvious question asked: Are they more athletes than students?

I think we know the answer.

Costas also interviews Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzew-ski - not about his team's mediocre season but rather how the scandal surrounding the men's lacrosse team has impacted the reputation of the school. On the nostalgic scene, Costas revisits the 1957 college basketball scene when North Carolina, under coach Frank McGuire, beat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas for the NCAA title. The five starters were all "gym rats" from New York.

One important result of the Tar Heels' victory: The athletic department provided enough money so McGuire could hire an assistant named Dean Smith.

NCAA TOURNAMENT QUIZ: Name the highest-rated NCAA Tournament championship game broadcast on television. Answer below.

BROADCASTING TEAM: The CBS Sports play-by-play and analysis crews for the NCAA Tournament remain basically the same as last year, with only James Brown joining the play-by-play lineup, replacing Craig Bolerjack.

Question: How long will it be before CBS' coverage features a female play-by play talent in the men's tournament?

BASEBALL NAMES: Peter Gammons, evidently completely recovered from the brain aneurysm he suffered last June, has signed a new deal with ESPN. Baseball broadcasting talent on ESPN comes and goes. But Gammons remains the most literate.

Is that because he has been a print guy?

The Colorado Rockies booth will have the same look as 2006, with Drew Goodman and George Frazier teaming up for 103 games. Jeff Huson, in his second year, will join Goodman for the 47 other televised contests.

QUIZ ANSWER: The March 26, 1979, Michigan State-Indiana State game on NBC featuring the Spartans' Magic Johnson against the Sycamores' Larry Bird produced a 24.1 rating and a 38 audience share.

Michigan State won 75-64.

Runner-up: The Duke-Michigan contest (won by the Blue Devils 71-51) on April 6, 1992. The game, on CBS, had a 22.7 rating and a 35 audience share.

saundersd@RockyMountainNews.com

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